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After a challenging week running up to the 30th Southeast Asian Games, the event's opening ceremony has seen a spectacular celebration of the culture of the Philippines.

Staged at the world’s biggest indoor arena, the Philippine Arena, in Bulacan, north of Manila, local artists performed indigenous warrior dances followed by modern and hip-hop performances before national contingents entered the venue.

Parading into the Arena in alphabetical order - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam - the opening ceremony saw host nation the Philippines end the march.

In a departure from tradition, the opening ceremony was held in an indoor arena rather than a stadium, with the Games cauldron placed at a different location, at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium, some 90 kilometres away - with the lighting of the cauldron shown on screen at the 55,000 capacity arena.

More than 8,000 athletes from the 10 ASEAN countries and Timor Leste will compete in 530 events in 56 sports at the three main clusters, with the Games running for 12 days until the closing ceremony at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium on 11th December.

The chaotic build-up to the Games over the last week, has promoted Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to order an investigation into the issue.

The worst incidents have included incomplete venues as well as incoming football squads being stranded at the airport or stuck, waiting hours to their rooms.

Images: The opening ceremony for the 30th Southeast Asian Games at the Philippine Arena (top) and fireworks mark the lighting of the cauldron at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium (below).

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